You're Not Alone
by MoonytheMarauder1
Summary: James can never let a friend suffer alone, Peter isn't one for prejudices, and Sirius has never cared for his reputation anyway. Or, a differenthouse!au where Remus' lycanthropy is discovered, and three people refuse to abandon him. For Grace


**A/N: Hey y'all! This was written for Hogwarts. Prompts are below :)**

**Word Count: 3576**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Those rights go to JK Rowling. **

**This is a different house!au**

**WARNINGS: Little bit of language**

**For Grace. I may be making you read Peter, but know I love you. ;)**

**Enjoy!**

James frowned as whispers filled the Great Hall. He watched Remus Lupin take a few steps into the room, look around, and then slowly approach the Ravenclaw table.

James, sitting at the Gryffindor table, frowned down at his plate. He hadn't been particularly close to Remus, but they _had_ been friends—it hurt to see him ostracized in this way. People were actually scrambling away from him.

But Remus' shoulders stayed squared as he ate his meal at the end of the table, alone.

James ran a hand through his messy black hair, exhaling slowly. He had a choice right now. On one hand, Remus had never disclosed his lycanthropy to him, which stung. Besides that, he wasn't sure how he felt about all this; had he ever really known Remus at all?

On the other hand, it was a heavy secret that Snape had leaked, and the bloke looked like he could use a friend. No one else was stepping up.

What it came down to, James decided, was the kind of person he wanted to be. In the end, it was much easier to _tell_ himself that he was going to make his way over there than it was to actually _do_ it.

_You're a bleeding Gryffindor, Potter,_ he thought to himself. _Go over there and help your friend._

It was odd; the second he stood up, the room seemed to unmute. He could suddenly hear every slur thrown the Ravenclaw's way, see every glare and fearful stare, feel the prickling of a million eyes…

He placed a hand on Remus' shoulder, surprised that he'd made his way across the room, and everyone fell silent. "Come on, mate," he murmured. "You don't have to take this."

He bent down and slung Remus' bag over his shoulder. Amber eyes looked up at him in surprise, and James just cocked his head towards the door. Slowly, Remus followed.

James led him through the castle, determinedly ignoring the whispers and stares that chased them. The two sixteen-year-olds walked straight to the Gryffindor common room, and James was thankful for the Fat Lady when she let Remus in without question.

Once the portrait hole had closed, James turned toward his friend. Suddenly aware of the distance between them since word of Remus' lycanthropy got out, James cleared his throat awkwardly. "Hey."

Remus was staring somewhere over James' left shoulder. "You don't have to do this."

James fixed his hazel eyes on the slightly taller boy. "Bullshit." He pulled at his collar, overwhelmed by all his conflicting emotions. But there in front of him was a friend who'd been stripped of his right to privacy, and he couldn't see him as anyone more malicious than the boy who'd so patiently tutored him in Defense Against the Dark Arts and Divination.

With a jolt, James realized that he'd always known a werewolf—he just hadn't been aware of that fact. The notion that Remus could be frightening suddenly made him want to burst into laughter. He cleared his throat.

"I'm not going to run away, Remus. And I'm not doing this because I pity you."

Remus' expression was just as mild as it always was, but James knew better than to assume that meant he was fine. "Then why are you here, James?"

"We're friends."

"We're not close."

The admission was soft and almost disappointed. It sent a pang of guilt through James; why hadn't he tried to get closer to the Ravenclaw? Why had he stayed at such a distance? He ran a hand through his dark hair, unable to come up with an answer.

"You're right," he said at last, "we're not. But… we could be. And I want you to know that I'm not the type that's going to cut ties with someone because they've—er—"

"Been outed as a man-eating monster?" Remus finished dully.

James frowned. "_Have_ you eaten someone?"

Remus' head snapped up. "Of course not!"

"There you have it, then! You're no more a danger to anyone than I am." He grinned, but his expression soon sobered. "My point is, I'm sticking around, Remus. Whether you want me to or not. And when I'm here… you don't have to put on that front."

"I'm not—"

"Don't lie to me," James interrupted. "Please."

The fight just seemed to drain out of Remus; really, it was shocking how James hadn't seen how strong his friend was. He hadn't pegged him as the type to be able to hold his shoulders up.

He'd been very, very wrong.

"It… it doesn't even make sense," Remus muttered. "What I'm feeling."

"Hey." James reached out and put a hand on the other boy's shoulder. "Sometimes we just hurt. And that's okay."

Remus' amber eyes were golden in the light of the common room. "That's the problem. I'm so sick of… of…"

James thought back to all the scars that appeared on Remus' flesh, the tight-lipped smiles he gave when the circles under his eyes were too dark, and the way he sometimes limped on his way to lessons. "You're sick of hurting."

He didn't receive a response, but that only confirmed his suspicions. He knew Remus was a private person and that they weren't particularly close, but this was something his friend needed to get off his chest. And besides that, sometimes it was easier to talk to someone who didn't know you well.

"It's okay to tell me, Remus," he promised. Then the dam broke.

"No, I—I'm not hurting, or I shouldn't be, I dunno. I've been lying to everyone here about what I am, and now that… that I might lose it all, I just can't—what if coming in the first place was a mistake?"

James was shaking his head before Remus was finished speaking. "No, mate. Of course not. Listen, it wasn't any of their business—I haven't told them everything about you, have I? Keeping secrets that don't concern others doesn't mean you're lying to them. And if you hadn't gone to school… my life would be very different." His hazel eyes softened. "I'm glad you're here."

Remus didn't believe him; that much was clear. He didn't believe that he'd made any sort of positive impact, or that he was innocent in the mess that had been created. That was okay, James decided. There was time to work up to that.

"Want to head to the kitchens? I dragged you out of dinner." When Remus hesitated, James cracked a small smile. "I'm very nonthreatening, don't worry."

Remus huffed out a laugh and shot the Gryffindor a little grin. "Yeah. Thanks."

James clapped a hand on his back. "Get used to it, mate. I've been told I'm relentless."

* * *

It was a miracle that Remus hadn't been expelled, in Peter's opinion. A miracle he was very thankful for.

Remus Lupin was his best friend. Maybe the relationship was one-sided, but he had really enjoyed his friendship with the other boy. What had begun as a simple tutoring session had developed into so much more; they partnered in classes they shared and hung out at Hogsmeade, and sometimes even exchanged gifts.

Remus was easy to talk to. He was funny, and smart, and he had a backbone that Peter suspected only he had noticed. It was odd, how much people missed what they weren't willing to see. So really, it hadn't been long before Peter began recognizing patterns in his friend's disappearances and the scars that cropped up every once in a while.

When Snape had spread the word about the other boy's lycanthropy… well. It really just confirmed the suspicions he was too afraid to voice. It tore him apart, the knowledge that Remus had to endure such agony every month—and now the prejudice that came with it.

But as glad as Peter was that his friend was staying, he was pretty annoyed with Remus for avoiding him.

So the Hufflepuff made it his mission to corner him.

A week after the news got out, he was successful. Remus had taken to eating his meals in the kitchens, so he camped out there until his friend made an appearance.

The look on Remus' face was priceless.

"Peter," he stammered. "I—er—"

"I've been looking everywhere for you," Peter said crossly. "Why did you run away from me?" There was no use beating around the bush.

Remus flinched, and Peter noticed for the first time his sloppily untucked white shirt and the lopsided prefect badge on his robes. The bags under his eyes were also darker than usual.

"Sorry. Sorry, I thought… I thought…"

Peter crossed his arms. "Come on, sit down. You must be starving, and we have a lot to talk about."

Remus visibly swallowed but nodded and obeyed. Peter pulled out a chair beside him and plopped himself into it. He pushed his blond hair out of his face and turned to face his friend.

"I'm not afraid, if that's what you think."

Remus bit his lip. "You should be. You _will_ be, given time."

Peter frowned. "You're not giving me enough credit. Listen, we've been best mates since first year—if there was something that could turn me off you, it would have happened by now."

Remus glanced away. "You didn't know I was a… werewolf, though."

Peter shrugged. "I guessed. And I'm okay with it."

Remus looked over sharply, face white. "You knew?"

"That's really not the point."

"It is!" Remus insisted, raising his voice slightly. "It is the point! If I can't even—argh."

He clamped his mouth shut, but Peter put a hand on his arm. "No, tell me. Please."

Remus studied him for a minute, conflicted. Then he sighed warily and spoke. "I am the _one thing_ in life I can control. And even that's not true all the time." He ran his hands through his tawny hair in frustration. "I just wanted to keep my secret. And I… I couldn't control whether or not that came out. I'm not in control at all." His voice faded to a rasp. "Everything is out of my hands, and it's terrifying."

"Hey, that's not true," Peter protested. "Secrets… they usually have a way of coming out, Remus. That's true for everyone. But this doesn't mean that you're not in control of your life—you're talking to me of your own free will, aren't you? No one is making you tell me these things."

Amber eyes fixated on the toffee-colored table they were sitting at. "The next steps I take—"

"Will be influenced by those around you," Peter admitted, "but you, ultimately, decide what to do with your life. The Ministry, Dumbledore, your parents—nobody can take that away from you."

Slowly, Remus nodded. He raised his eyes to meet Peter's, a spark of determination and hope beginning to ignite. "You're right, Peter," he said softly. "Thank you for… being there for me. I guess I didn't realize how serious you were about…"

He trailed off, but Peter understood what he meant. "I'll always watch over you," he promised.

A small smile broke across Remus' features. "Thanks." He paused. "You know, James Potter said a similar thing."

Peter was pleased. "Always knew he was a good one, even if he was too loud and got our study group kicked from the library."

Remus laughed then, and Peter knew everything would be okay.

Remus didn't need to know that he was planning on getting Potter's help with a project he'd been thinking of starting—one that would provide comfort for Remus during the full moon…

"Hey, Remus?"

"Yeah?"

"You know Snape? Don't worry about him. That guy would make a House Elf want to give themselves a sock for freedom. Whatever he says… it isn't true."

Remus swallowed. "He was smart enough to follow me to… the place I transform. He was smart enough to figure it out."

"And that's where his intelligence stops," Peter said firmly. "He's an idiot to think he can get away with doing something like this—that it will make people like him. He'll lose everything because of it, Remus."

The Ravenclaw sucked in a breath. "Lily?"

"Is livid." Peter nodded. "I dunno what she's going to do, but…"

Remus bit his lip. "Okay. I—I'd better go to lessons… Thanks again, Peter."

Peter smiled. "Don't be a stranger."

Remus promised he wouldn't be, then left. Peter sat back in his chair and relaxed. Remus was staying at school. There were at least two people who were willing to stick up for him—three, if Lily cut ties with Snape. It wasn't much, but Peter had a feeling it would be enough.

* * *

"Psst. Lupin."

Sirius watched Remus glance towards him with a furrowed brow. He grinned. The poor love was confused. He waved a piece of parchment at the Ravenclaw, waggling his eyebrows and gesturing that he should take the note.

Remus' lips twisted into a frown. _If it's cursed, tell me now_, he mouthed to the Slytherin.

Sirius' smile faltered. He'd known that the werewolf had been getting a lot of negative attention, but if he expected a simple note to be tampered with… He shook his head and thrust the parchment closer to the other boy.

Remus hesitated, then took it. Sirius watched those amber eyes skim over it, then flicker to the black-haired boy curiously. Sirius only grinned.

They didn't interact for the rest of Charms, but Remus _did _follow him into an empty classroom after class, as his note had requested. Sirius grinned when the other boy slowly entered, looking both nervous and intrigued.

Sirius sat himself on a desk and grinned. "I was afraid you wouldn't come."

Remus' hand stayed on the door handle. "What do you want from me?"

Sirius blew the hair out of his face. "I wanted to ask you a question. That is, if you're willing to listen?"

He waited for an answer before realizing that Remus' fingers were still gripping the door handle. "Mate, if I was going to hex you, I'd have done it already."

Slowly, Remus released his hold. "Okay then," he began hesitantly, "what do you want to ask me?"

Sirius grinned, his grey eyes glittering with triumph, and leaned forward. "There's a Hogsmeade trip this weekend—"

"And you want me to stay in the library so as not to ruin it?" Remus' mouth had twisted into something very self-deprecating.

Sirius frowned sharply. "No. I want you to go with me."

Remus' head shot up. "You—what?"

"I want you," Sirius began again, feeling a bit nervous, "to go to Hogsmeade with me this weekend. As my date," he added, in case the boy needed clarification.

"As your date," the Ravenclaw repeated. He stood there blinking for a moment. "But I'm a werewolf."

"And I'm a Black," Sirius said with a shrug. "If you can get past that, then I'm sure I can get past—what did I hear Potter call it?—your furry little problem. It's not even near the full moon."

That stunned look remained on his face… until a horrible smile replaced it. "Oh, I get it." Remus laughed, looking dejected, and Sirius' heart sank. "This is some sort of bet, isn't it? An 'I bet you won't kiss a werewolf' deal? Well, very funny. But I'm not daft enough—"

"Lupin—Remus—you _are_ bloody daft because you just can't seem to—argh. Come with me."

He grabbed the other boy's thin wrist and marched him down to the dungeons. He didn't much care that he was revealing the Slytherin common room's password to a Ravenclaw. They had to answer a riddle to get into their beds, for Merlin's sake; they could figure the other passwords out if they wanted to.

He dragged Remus up to his dorm room, glaring at his disgruntled housemates along the way. If one of them opened their mouth, a quick glare from him would shut them up; it was the one thing the Black family name was good for.

Once they were alone, he turned back to Remus, spreading his hands out. "This is my room. Now, tell me what you—"

"You—you have a room to yourself?"

Sirius couldn't help but chuckle at that Ravenclaw curiosity. "I hexed my roommates one too many times. Now, tell me what you see in the room."

Remus appeared confused, but humored him. Sirius gave him a moment to take in the pictures of motorbikes on the walls, the Muggle glow-in-the-dark stars he only still had on the ceiling because Regulus sometimes snuck into his bed after a nightmare, and the other Muggle relics Sirius liked to collect.

"There are no pictures," Remus answered at last. "Of your family, anyway."

Sirius slammed his palm against the mattress of his bed. "Bingo. Does it look like I give a damn what my parents think?"

"...no."

"Right again." Sirius lowered himself onto the mattress and patted the spot next to him; Remus joined him a moment later. "Listen, I know what it's like to be defined by name alone, to have others' actions mar your own reputation. I liked you before I knew you were a werewolf, and I don't see why that knowledge should alter my feelings. One date is all I ask—if you hate it, we don't ever have to do it again."

He waited as Remus mulled that over, daring to hope. It was almost a relief to find out that Remus understood his struggle with his surname. It meant that, if the Ravenclaw did open up, he wouldn't have to hide why he was so hell-bent on proving he was different from his family, or how hard it was to face a world that wanted to hate you.

He only hoped Remus would make the same connection.

"I just… I don't understand. Why me?"

Well. That hadn't been the answer Sirius had been hoping for.

Sirius tilted his head to the side. "As strange as it might seem to you, I do find you attractive—and more importantly, you're brilliant. You're kind. I don't… I don't see a lot of that where I'm from. It's a nice change."

Remus stared down at his knees, pained. "I find it unlikely that you'll still think those things if you really got to know me."

"I'm not just going to toss you aside, mate."

"Do you _really_ think you can commit to a werewolf?" The words were sharp, leaving a distressed tongue. Sirius sat up straighter.

"Do you think _anyone_ can?" he shot back. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "I know what I want, and I know obtaining it will be difficult. But I also know that, right now, you're the only one getting in the way of your happiness."

Remus opened and closed his mouth, seemingly unable to answer.

"You have to hope," Sirius added softly. "You have to believe things can get better. I can help you with that."

Remus took in a shuddering breath. "The school will find out, Black… Sirius. Are you ready for that?"

Sirius cocked his head to the side. "Is that a yes to the date?"

Remus bit his lip. "Merlin help me, but yes."

"Brilliant!" Sirius crowed. "And don't you worry—I'm very committed."

Remus found out exactly how much so when they emerged from the common room some time later. Sirius cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted to one of the crowded corridors.

"Students of Hogwarts!" He saw Remus bury his face in his hands out of the corner of his eye. "I would like to announce that, henceforth, Remus Lupin is off the market, as am I. So don't even bother asking." He grinned at Pettigrew, who was shooting the mortified lycanthrope beside him a thumbs up, and waved sheepishly at Potter, who seemed torn between his protective tendencies and his unwillingness to further embarrass his friend.

Sirius turned to Remus, who was trying to keep his face neutral—but the flush gave him away. The Slytherin threw an arm around the Ravenclaw, leading him to the Great Hall. When Remus tried to protest, Sirius cut over him.

"They've had six months to get used to the idea of your lycanthropy," he insisted, ignoring the whispers and pointed fingers of their classmates. "If they have a problem, they can bring it to me. And with me there, no one at the Slytherin table will bother you, so don't worry about that. Tuck in."

As Remus sat down besides Sirius, he regarded the black-haired boy with a mixture of surprise and awe. "Thank you, Sirius," he murmured. "You don't even know…"

Sirius put a hand over his and smiled. "It's no trouble."

And it wasn't. Sirius wanted to date the werewolf, and he didn't care who knew. It was about time someone looked out for Remus, and he was willing to step up to the plate. Remus deserved to hold his head up high.

There would be obstacles; the horrified looks they were facing were proof enough of that. But Sirius knew that they could jump every hurdle.

"Hullo, gents. Mind if we join?"

He twisted around to see Potter and Pettigrew standing behind them—Potter still eyeing him suspiciously. He sent them a charming grin and said, "The more the merrier."

Peter settled down next to Remus, and Potter sat himself beside Sirius. Peter struck up a conversation with the Ravenclaw, and James began questioning Sirius, who was both intimidated and amused.

After a few minutes, he took Remus' hand under the table and squeezed it.

Remus squeezed back.

**A/N:**

**Writing Club:**

**Assorted Appreciation: 20. Garyl — Alt. Write about an animagus**

**Disney Challenge: Songs 5. Strange Sight — write about someone reaching out to someone**

**Trope of the Month: 9. (item) prefect badge**

**All Sorts of Space: 10. (word) secret**

**Book Club: Rafe — (plot point) comforting someone, (dialogue) "I'm very nonthreatening, don't worry.", (word) laughter**

**Showtime: 20. Yorktown — (color) white**

**Amber's Attic: 13. "I am the one thing in life I can control."**

**Sophie's Shelf: 15. Write a fic without adults**

**Press Play: 2. That's the problem**

**Liza's Loves: 3. Subrace - Mountain Dwarf — alt. Write about someone strong**

**Angel's Arcade: Mercy — (word) golden, (dialogue) "I'll always watch over you.", (trait) kind**

**Scamander's Case: 3. (word) danger**

**Bex's Basement: 12. Pretty Little Liars — Write about a lie coming back to haunt you**

**Film Festival: 12. (word) mistake**

**Marvel Appreciation: Time Stone 1. (emotion) scared**

**Seasonal Challenges: **

**Days of the Year: 3 July — Write about someone learning to love themselves **

**Summer: 29. (quote) "One must maintain a little bit of summer, even in the midst of winter." - Henry David Thoreau**

**Colors: 8. Toffee**

**Birthstones: 6. Onyx — (dialogue) "That girl/guy would make a House Elf want to give themselves a sock for freedom."**

**Flowers: 9. Hibiscus — (scenario) making a declaration to others**

**Fire: 4. (word) ignite**

**Mix It Up: Severus Snape, "Sometimes we just hurt. And that's okay."**

**Gryffindor: Characters: 24. Peter Pettigrew; Traits 14. Determined; Other: 8. Gryffindor common room**

**Summer Astrology: 7. August 12, 13 — (item) star stickers**

**Southern Funfair: Test Your Strength: God: Wolfstar**

**Northern Funfair: How Many Things in the Jar?: "Don't lie to me."**

**Eastern Funfair: Bingo: SiriusRemus**

**Fortnightly: **

**Canadian Craze: 11. Yukton — (color) gold**

**Ham Jam: 8. James Madison — write about someone needing assistance of some sort **

**Scavenger Hunt: 54. Write a fic for a member of Ravenclaw**

**365 Words: 26. Unlikely **

**Insane House Challenge: 757. (scenario) Ngl, I thought you were the weak one of this friend group, but your whole life just went to complete shit around you and somehow you're still acting the same so if you want to be weak you can be around me.**


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